The present invention relates generally to gaming machines and, more particularly, to a gaming machine providing a game of chance in which a special symbol(s) moves around a symbol array shown on a visual display, the symbol array is evaluated for winning symbol combinations each time the special symbol(s) stops, and the game ends in response to the special symbol encountering a stop-bonus symbol that also moves around the symbol array.
Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Accordingly, in the competitive gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce new types of games, or enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by enhancing the entertainment value and excitement associated with the game.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a xe2x80x9csecondaryxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cbonusxe2x80x9d game that may be played in conjunction with a xe2x80x9cbasicxe2x80x9d game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome of the basic game. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop new features for bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators. Preferably, such new bonus game features will maintain, or even further enhance, the level of player excitement offered by bonus games heretofore known in the art. The present invention is directed to satisfying these needs.
A gaming machine is controlled by a processor in response to a wager and comprises a basic game and a bonus game. The basic game includes a plurality of symbols randomly placed in a viewable display area relative to at least one pay line. The basic game awards a basic game payout for any winning symbol combinations along the pay line, and includes a start-bonus outcome for triggering the bonus game.
In accordance with the present invention, the bonus game includes a special indicator progressively moved to and stopped at one or more symbols in the viewable display area. For each symbol where the special indicator stops, the bonus game awards a bonus game payout for a winning scatter combination formed with that symbol regardless of whether the winning scatter combination is along the pay line. Thus, the symbol where the indicator stops pays as a scatter. In a preferred embodiment, the symbols in the viewable display area are arranged in a rectangular array of rows and columns, and symbols in columns of the array to the right of the special indicator are excluded from (not counted toward) any winning scatter combinations in the bonus game.